


To Find My Love As Before

by VerdiWithin



Series: Talisman [26]
Category: Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: Comfort, Developing Relationship, F/M, Hand Jobs, Heavy Petting, Mutual Masturbation, Oral Sex, Prophecy, Rise of the Dread Queen, Sleepovers, Sloppy Makeouts, Trauma Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:35:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21905314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VerdiWithin/pseuds/VerdiWithin
Summary: Persephone is recovering from her encounter with Gaia. Hades is processing his emotions and gathering information.
Relationships: Hades/Persephone (Lore Olympus)
Series: Talisman [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1497371
Comments: 22
Kudos: 291





	To Find My Love As Before

**Author's Note:**

> Previously in this series: 
> 
> Persephone just had a strange encounter with Gaia, in which she gave the elder goddess a box from Athena. She collapsed afterwards. Zeus fired Thetis. Demeter is up to something. The Furies work for Persephone now, calling her their Mistress due to an ancient prophecy.

I set Persephone down on my bed and she curls onto her side, giving the softest of snores. She’s so small, wrapped up in my jacket. Her arms are lost in the sleeves, and even her legs are tucked inside the dark folds. Only her face and her feet are exposed. Gently I remove her shoes, thinking of the first time I did this.

She looks so vulnerable, so trusting. I wonder if I should help her to change. She’d be more comfortable, but then again we haven’t quite reached the clothes-off stage. 

“Kore?” I say. “Can you hear me?” I cup her cheek, stroke along her jaw. “Persephone?”

“Mmmm?”

“Hey--” I lean down and rub my cheek against hers. “Do you want to get changed? Put on pajamas?”

“Mmm-kay.” She doesn’t open her eyes. I kiss her cheek and go into the dressing room to fetch her things. 

The space that Persephone has taken over is starting to fill up. I smile, seeing her neatly-folded, feminine things in my drawer. It doesn’t feel right, rooting around and handling her items, so I just nudge them, peeking underneath, trying to find something I recognize as pajamas. I don’t see any, so I pull the drawer further open. 

There, at the back of the drawer, carefully folded and resting on a sheet of pink tissue paper, is a delicate black… garment. I realize immediately that she means this as a surprise, and I should shut the drawer and pretend I never saw it. But I can’t resist this.

I lift it carefully and hold it up. I study the lovely thing. It’s entirely made of filmy silk and lace, so it’s basically transparent. It has black ribbon shoulder straps, and I imagine it would fall below her knees. If it were a dress, made out of regular fabric, it would be simple and rather modest.

My mind thumps to a complete standstill. I’m enthralled by the mental image of Persephone wearing this. I have only seen her wear black a couple of times, but each time I thought she was stunning. Her skin glows in contrast with dark fabric. Even the  _ idea _ of her wearing this steals my breath and starts me sweating.

I picture her buying it, selecting it thoughtfully. She must have chosen it to please me, and that idea makes me melt. I wonder when she found the time. I wonder when she intended to wear it. I sigh, enjoying the vision, and fold the garment away carefully, trying to leave it as I found it.

I go into the bathroom and check the hook where Persephone’s robe hangs, and last night’s pajamas are there, tucked underneath. I grin to myself, delighted that she’s keeping stuff in my house and already has places for it. I need to clear some more space for her.

I return to the bedroom and check on her. She hasn’t moved.

“I brought your pajamas,” I tell her, lifting her up.

“Mmmff.”

She musters the strength to keep herself sitting up, and blinks blearily at me.

“Hi there,” I say. “Do you know where you are?” She hasn’t been fully conscious since she returned from visiting Gaia. I’m anxious to know if she’s really all right.

“Yes,” she says. “I’m  _ tired _ .”

“I can see that.” 

Her eyes are drooping again. I’m concerned that she didn’t really answer my question. Being in the presence of an Ancient One can be exhausting, and dangerous, and Persephone was gone for a long time.

“Sweetness, do you know who I am?”

“Of course I do, Hades.” She blinks sleepily and cups my cheek. “I told you I wouldn’t forget.” 

She speaks far more lucidly than I expected. I’m deeply relieved. I hug her, pulling her close. “I was so frightened for you,” I tell her. “I should have remembered how strong you are.”

She makes a muffled noise against my neck, and yawns, letting my jacket slip off her shoulders. “Help me with the zipper?” she asks.

I slide it down, and hand her the pajamas. I should go out and give her some privacy, but she’s sitting on my leg. Persephone pulls her pajama top on over her head, on top of her dress. I start to protest, thinking she’s more depleted than I realized, but she wiggles in a businesslike way, and pulls the dress down to her waist. 

I blink in surprise. She wiggles some more, and her bra drops out the bottom of her shirt, then her arms pop out of the sleeves. I laugh. 

“That was very efficient.”

“It’s my special talent.” 

She lifts up to pull the dress down over her hips, and I help. Now she’s sitting there wearing a t-shirt, and a garter belt and stockings. I try not to look. Or should I? I’m not sure. We’ve been engaging in sexual play for a few days now, with splendid results. I’ve touched just about everything, even if it was only through her clothes. 

Persephone is starting to droop back into the pillows again, yawning and losing focus. 

“Kore, should I help you?”

“Yes, please.”

She lies back, watching me sleepily. I detach her stockings and roll them down, trying to be matter-of-fact. I unhook her garter belt and remove it. She’s wearing white panties, trimmed with pink lace, with little pink hearts scattered over them. I try handing her pajama pants to her, but she’s nearly asleep. 

“You’re almost done. Let’s get these on you and then you can sleep.”

“‘Kay.” 

She lifts her feet and I slip the pants over them, drawing them up to her thighs. She lowers her feet and pushes up, lifting her hips. I pull her pants into place, and then pull the covers out from under her and tuck her into bed.

“Love you, Smush,” she mumbles.

I grin. I guess that name is going to stick. “I love you, too, Kore,” I say, and kiss her gently.

I pick up the clothes and take them into the dressing room. I put her bra, belt, and stockings on the dresser, not sure that I ought to mess with them. Maybe they need washing now, I don’t know. Her dress seems heavier than it ought to be, so I check the pockets. 

One pocket contains her phone. Wait, when did she get a new phone? This one is a similar model to mine, with only slight differences. I’m glad she got rid of the old cracked one, I was worried it was going to fall apart.

The other pocket contains something odd. It’s a small crystal, pale pink and sparkling. I’m sure I’ve never seen it before. It seems to hum with compressed energy, far more than I would expect to be contained in something so small. It’s clearly a powerful item. Did Persephone get it from Gaia?

I place it on the dresser, and hang the dress next to Persephone’s other things. She can decide later if it needs to go to the cleaner. I change out of my suit, into more comfortable clothes. I bring both our phones back into the bedroom, and sit on the edge of the bed for a long time, watching the sleeping goddess.

***

I awake from a light doze to the sound of a buzzing phone. One arm is pinned down but I flail around with the other until I grasp the annoying object. It’s Zeus calling. Just what I need. I thumb the  _ Answer  _ button. 

“Yeah?” I say.

“What has that girl done to you now?”

I look down at Persephone on my shoulder; she seems to be profoundly asleep. Her mouth is slightly open and she’s making buzzing sounds. One of her legs is hooked possessively over mine. I can’t hold back my smile.

“Who’s been talking to you?” I ask.

“Are you kidding? It’s all over the news!” he sputters.

“What? Already? How could the press find out about Gaia?” I’m shocked. I thought the only ones who knew were Hecate and the Furies, and I trust all of them completely.

“Gaia?” he yells. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

Oh. He’s talking about something different, I guess. “Grandmother summoned Persephone for a talk this morning.”

There’s a long pause while my brother assimilates that statement. “And you didn’t think to _ tell  _ me?” he chokes out.

“We’re still in recovery mode. I’d’ve called you later today.”

“Son of a bitch, Hades, what the fuck is wrong with you lately? This girl is affecting your brain, I swear.”

This is demonstrably true, so I let it go. “What is it you were calling about? Something in the news?”

“ _ Ugh!  _ The society pages are full of pictures of you two. And they’ve dug up that Hero of the Underworld crap, and thrown in a lot of romance bullshit. Since when do you pose for pictures?”

“Maybe since I have someone who’s happy to pose with me,” I snap.

There’s a pause. I can just picture his face, getting all pompous. “I thought that sort of thing was too frivolous for you. Didn’t you always say catering to the papers was just a symptom of self-obsession?” 

“So sorry to steal your spotlight,” I respond.

“Is that what you think this is about? I’m honestly concerned for you. You’re becoming very irresponsible.”

If he’s going to be like that, I’ll go on the offensive. “So I heard you had to let Thetis go,” I say.

He sighs dramatically. “Yeah. She got way too full of herself. She wanted me to leave Hera.”

“Uh huh,” I say. I’m not at all surprised. Anyone who talked to Thetis for more than five minutes could see that her goal was to displace Hera.

“I’ve really been in the dumps since she left. I don’t feel like myself at all.”

That’s concerning. “In what way?” I ask.

There’s a long pause and I wonder what’s going on. It’s not like him to think this long. “Never mind,” he finally says. “What did Grandmother have to say to Persephone?”  
“I don’t know. She pretty much passed out the moment she returned.” I look down at her again. She’s still deeply asleep.

“ _ Nrggh. _ Yeah, I guess it would affect her like that.” Very grudgingly, the asshole. “I still want to know  _ why _ Grandmother wanted to talk to her.”

I’m getting rather pissed with him. “Maybe you should ask your daughter about that. I’m gonna go now.” I press  _ End Call _ , and mute the phone before I put it down.

I’m settling down again, hoping to get back to my nap, when the phone buzzes again. I grab it from the nightstand, hoping Persephone won’t be disturbed. I thought I silenced it! I hit  _ Answer _ .

“Yes?”

“ _ Who _ is that?” It’s a woman’s voice, authoritative and annoyed.

“Who are  _ you _ ?” I ask, equally annoyed.

I glance at the screen to see what the caller ID says, but it looks different from usual. I’m confused for a moment, but then I realize this must be Persephone’s phone, not mine. I put it back to my ear; the caller is talking again.

“Now listen here, young man. I haven’t got time for your nonsense and disrespect!” Oh, holy  _ fuck _ , I know that voice. It’s  _ Demeter _ . I’m talking to Demeter! “You must be that love god my daughter is staying with. Eros, isn’t it?  _ Why _ are you answering my daughter’s phone?”

I think fast. It’s been a long time since I talked to Demeter and I didn’t recognize her voice at first; hopefully she won’t recognize mine. I try to make my voice like Eros’s, lighter and more chirpy.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” I say. Would Eros say  _ ma’am _ ? No idea. “She must have forgotten her phone today. She’s already out at work.”

Demeter scoffs disdainfully. “I’ve never known her to be forgetful. Are you  _ sure _ she’s not there?”

Persephone inhales sharply and I look down at her. She’s squinting at me. “Who is that?” she murmurs sleepily.

“ _ Hush _ ,” I whisper to her. Then into the phone: “Um, yes. She left in a big hurry this morning. Must have forgotten to unplug it.” 

“I see. Since I have you on the phone I want to make sure you understand that my daughter is off limits. She is meant for better things than the likes of you, so you keep your hands to yourself. Are we clear?”

“Completely clear,” I say.  _ Wow _ , she’s really something.

“You be sure to tell her that I called,” Demeter instructs firmly.

“Yes ma’am, I will.” I press  _ End Call _ and then double-check that it hung up. I breathe a deep sigh. “I’m sorry, Sweetness. I answered your phone by mistake. That was your mother.”

“My  _ mother! _ ” Persephone’s sleepy eyes open wide and I can feel her tensing up.

“Don’t worry, she thought I was Eros.”

“Oh. Well. That’s okay. Sort of.”

“Are you awake now, Kore?”

“I don’t know. I’m still pretty tired.” She yawns, as if to prove it.

“Can you tell me about Gaia? Did you get to speak to her?”

Persephone is still sighing through her yawn, but she nods, and then blinks at me drowsily. “Yes, I spoke with her. And gave her the box.”

She doesn’t seem eager to talk about it, but possibly that’s just due to her fatigue. She snuggles in, placing her arm across my chest, so I roll onto my side in order to hold her with both arms. I feel the tickle of her breath on my throat and then she kisses me there, very softly.

I want to hear all about what happened with Gaia. I’m quite anxious to know, though maybe not as much as Zeus. The active interference of an Ancient One is a very serious matter; I should be insisting that Persephone answer me. I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to push her to do anything she doesn’t want to do.

I've always been the responsible one. The one who could be relied on to take one for the team. The one who put duty before his personal needs. The one who got pushed around, and eternally received the least of the portions.

I'm done with that. I hold Persephone close. She's warm and soft, breathing gently, asleep again. She chose to be here. With me. She loves me. 

***

I think back on the box that Persephone hid behind the waterfall. I’m still in awe of her audacity and creativity. I never would have guessed anything was there. The box was a beautiful thing, made of dark, carved wood and etched with silver symbols. What were they? I struggle to remember. 

There were owls, and snakes, which is no surprise, since Athena gave it to her. There were also spears, which  _ could _ be Ares’s symbol, but it seems more likely that they’re Athena’s. The other symbols were flames, and… something. Some kind of tools, weren’t they? Hammers, yes, and tongs. So, then, Hephaestus? 

The fine quality of the box would also argue for Hesphaestus’s hand in this. What does Athena have to do with Hephaestus? They’re friendly, as far as I know. Do they have some kind of joint project? I suppose I could ask Zeus, but Persephone implied that it was a matter of some delicacy. So what does Gaia want with some kind of joint project between Athena and Hephaestus? It doesn’t make sense. 

The Furies seemed to have some advance knowledge of what was going on today. They said something about choosing, and a first reckoning. That implies a second reckoning, at a minimum. No, who am I kidding, every damn thing of significance comes in threes. Clearly there will be three reckonings. I grit my teeth in frustration. I’m going to have to let Persephone go through crap like this twice more? I don’t like that a bit. 

And what is this choosing? Gaia made her choose something? I wonder what that is. I wonder if she’ll be willing to tell me. She has been known to keep things from me. She didn’t tell me about what that shitty little sun god did to her, there’s things about her mother that she’s hiding, and then there’s Athena’s box. 

Are there other things she’s keeping from me? Secrets? Lies? I have no way of knowing, really. It’s possible she’s a master of deception, spinning a web of lies around me. Telling me the things I want to hear. That she loves me. That she wants to be with me. That I  _ smell good _ , for Fates’ sake! She got too creative there. 

Seriously, how could she expect me to believe that? And what else has she told me that I swallowed whole, because I’m so damn broken that any attention from a pretty goddess goes straight to my head? 

Wait, why am I doing this? How can I doubt Persephone? She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. She loves me, and trusts me, despite her having every reason to be afraid to trust anyone. She’s strong, and beautiful, and smart. It’s not her fault her life is complicated. It’s not her fault that the Fates have taken an interest in her, and that her mother is a terrifying control freak. 

Okay. I lost my head there for a minute. My therapist calls that negative filtering, only seeing the bad things. It isn’t fair for me to judge Persephone. She wanted to tell me about what happened to her, and I encouraged her to put it off. She’s told me a lot about her mother. I can’t blame her if she’s concealing some other things. It’s her  _ mother,  _ after all. She loves Demeter. Athena’s box was not her secret to tell. She put it in Elysium, which I think of as her own domain, even if it’s part of my realm. Besides that, I really do believe the Fates took a hand in that affair.

Even if it were true that Persephone deliberately kept all of that from me, it’s not like I’m not doing the exact same thing. I have a whole garbage can full of secrets I should tell her. I promised Hecate I would, and I’ve only just barely begun. Given what happened today, I should start by telling her about the prophecy.

I gently extract myself from my sleeping girlfriend and pad downstairs to the library to look for a reference. I search for over an hour, wading through a whole shelf of ancient history books. Finally, I find it it deep in a dull account of the Titanomachy. Probably I could have saved time by just texting Alecto and asking. I leave the book in the living room, then go back upstairs to check on Persephone. She’s still asleep, and in my absence JP and Big John have curled up with her. 

They raise their heads inquiringly, but I leave them be. I go back downstairs; I’m too anxious to sit still, full of restless energy. I want to know what’s going on. I want to know why my grandmother saw fit to endanger Persephone. I want to understand about the box and the crystal, and for that matter, I want to know what Demeter is up to and why Zeus is being such a dick. 

I pace fitfully in the kitchen. I want to confess to Persephone. I want to tell her everything I’ve been holding back from her. I’m finally feeling strong enough to approach this stuff, and she’s completely passed out. 

I shake my head at my self-centered thinking. Persephone didn’t set this up. She did what she had to do. She faced a tough situation with courage. 

So, I can’t talk to her right now, and I have to wait for more information about Demeter, so what can I do? I pick up my phone and call Poseidon.

He answers right away. “Hey, what’s up? Persephone okay?”

“I think so. You’ve already heard, then?” I ask.

“Yeah, I talked to Zeus a while ago.”

“Good. Listen, is it just me, or is something seriously wrong with him?”

“No, I think you’re right there. He’s very irritable and he’s totally got a bug up his ass about Persephone. I keep telling him he shouldn’t care about your choices but he’s convinced she’s bad news.”

“Yeah, I got that. It’s not just me that thinks that’s weird? I don’t understand why he cares how I manage my personal life.”

“I think something’s going on. I thought at first it was losing Thetis but he should be past that by now, right? It usually takes him about ten minutes to find another interesting girl. It’s gotta be something else.”

“Yeah. Can you keep your ear to the ground? I’m really concerned but I’m not his favorite person right now.”

“Sure, man, no problem.”

***

My phone buzzes; it’s a text from Eros.  _ Everything ok? P not answering my texts. _

I send back:  _ She’s sleeping. Had an encounter w/ Gaia this morning _ .

Naturally he calls me immediately. I pick up.

“Are you serious? _ Gaia? _ ” he says.

“Yes. Grandmother summoned her and she was gone for ages. She’s been asleep ever since.”

“Is she gonna be okay?”

“I think so.” I control a hitch in my voice. “I talked to her briefly and she seemed like herself.” My emotions are welling up. The fear I felt when Persephone went through that portal, when she stayed away so long--it hasn’t really left me.

“And are  _ you _ okay, man?” Eros asks.

I start to say  _ of course _ , and stop myself. “I… don’t know. I was very frightened for her.” I guess I’m just in a confessing mood. I have to confess something to somebody.

“Okay. We’re coming over. Have you eaten recently?”

“Um… no?” It’s early evening already and I forgot lunch.

“Sit tight, we’ll be there shortly.”

***

Eros and Psyche arrive with several aromatic bags of food. They look around with interest as I show them through the house and into the dining room, and I feel a stab of guilt. I should have invited them over before this. They’ve invited me for dinner several times; it’s the least I can do to return the favor. I’ve been so wrapped up in spending time with Persephone that I’m neglecting other people.

“Is Perse still sleeping?” Eros asks.

“Yes. Or she was last I checked. I can go ask if she wants to eat.”

“Go ahead. We will get things set up,” Psyche says, distributing the dishes that I had piled on the dining table.

I nod and head upstairs. It’s a relief having other people around. I was starting to feel disconnected as well as lonely, guilty, hungry, and jittery.

Persephone is still sleeping, so I lift her up in my arms.

“Sweetness? Are you hungry?” It seems absurd to wake someone for food. Wouldn’t she wake up if she were hungry? 

“Mmmm?” Her hands move and she grips the front of my sweater. 

“It’s dinner time, and Eros and Psyche are here. They brought food, do you want to eat?”

She takes a long, deep breath and her eyelids crack open. “Food?”

I smile. I missed her so much. “Yes, food. Do you want to eat?”

“Okay.” She stretches her arms out to the sides and yawns, then starts to turn her stretch into a hug, arms looping around my shoulders. I feel something building, a flux of power, as if Persephone were trying to summon someone, or transform her shape. She’s still hugging me, and doesn’t seem aware of it. That’s a bit strange. I embrace her and stroke her back. “Did you say Eros and Psyche are here?” she asks, sounding more like her normal self.

“Mm-hmm. They brought the food. It smells really good.”

“Okay.” She crawls to the edge of the bed, and allows me to hold onto her while she gets up. She seems a little wobbly, but I suppress the urge to offer to carry her. If she wants more help, she can ask, but I don’t want to make her feel helpless. By the time we reach the dining room she looks to be more stable.

Psyche looks up. “There you are! Are you feeling well?”

Persephone nods. “I think I’m okay. Just hungry.”

We all sit down and start eating. Everyone’s sneaking glances at Persephone, but not saying anything. She just eats her food, looking at her plate. Her appetite seems good and her coordination is fine, but she’s not at her normal level of animation. I guess that’s to be expected after the day she had.

Eros can only restrain himself so long. “Hades said you met Gaia? Is that true?” Psyche and I glare at him, but he doesn’t notice.

Persephone is taken aback, and I think she’s looking tired again. “Yeah, it’s true.” I’m sure that her brief answer is due to reluctance to speak about it. I’m impatient to hear about what happened, but I wonder if she would say more if I weren’t here. Maybe this is something she’d be more willing to share with her friends than with me.

Eros is oblivious to anyone else’s distress. “Come on, Perse, you can’t leave it there! What’s she like?”

“I didn’t see her. There was a tunnel, and a chamber, and a voice. That’s all.”

Eros scoffs. “No way that’s all! What did she want?”

Persephone sighs softly. “I had a thing that was given to me to hold by another person. Gaia wanted it. I’m sorry, I can’t go into details on that.”

She’s already told me more than that. I feel relieved and a little smug that she trusted me more than she’s trusting Eros. He has a lot of excellent qualities, but discretion isn’t really one of them.

Psyche forestalls Eros’s next protest. “Of course, you must not breach that person’s trust. It must have been a strange experience. Did you get to talk with her?”

The mortal woman’s probing is more subtle, and gets better results. Persephone seems to relax a bit. “Yes. She said some very odd things about me.” She pauses and we all wait eagerly. “She… she gave me a thing. A tool, I guess. She said I was supposed to make a choice about whether to use it. To choose whether to fix something, or leave it be.”

“She was known for being very ambiguous in her phrasing,” I say, thinking of the prophecy I looked up earlier.

Persephone nods. “Yes. It was very confusing. Like she was being deliberately cryptic.”

That fits with other encounters with Gaia that I have heard about.

“Wait,” Eros says. “Do you mean Gaia gave you an  _ actual _ prophecy?”

“I suppose so.” Persephone yawns widely, covering her mouth. “I’m going to go sit on the couch.” She looks quite ready to go back to sleep.

Eros follows after her, pestering for more information. I’m a little annoyed with him, but Persephone is more than able to handle it. I start cleaning up, and Psyche helps me.

“It is not a usual thing, is it? To get to speak to Gaia?”

“No,” I tell her. “As far as I know she hasn’t spoken to anyone in centuries. I wish I knew why she decided to get involved now. And why she chose Persephone.”

“You are worried for her?”

“Yes. She’s strong, but this is a very big deal.”

We finish cleaning up and then go into the living room. Persephone is curled up on the couch in a little ball, sound asleep. Eros is watching her anxiously. He looks up at me.

“Should she be sleeping this much? She fell asleep in the middle of a sentence!”

“Being around the Ancient Ones is extremely draining and she’s still young. I wouldn’t be surprised if she needs several days to recover.”

“Eros, we should go. Let them both rest,” Psyche says, putting her hand on Eros’s arm.

I walk them to the door. “Thank you both for coming, and for the food. It’s very kind of you.” 

“You are welcome. We are happy to help,” Psyche says.

“Definitely! Hey, call if you need anything, all right?” Eros says. “Seriously. You look like you’ve had a draining day, too.”

***

Persephone is still curled up when I return, but she stirs when I touch her. 

“Did they go home?” she asks as she turns toward me, wrapping her arms around my chest.

“Yes.” I kiss the top of her head, and run my fingers through her short hair. That reminds me--her hair didn’t grow at all in the time she was away talking to Gaia. She stayed in control of her emotions that whole time! I’m impressed. “Do you want to go back to bed now?”

“No. Wanna snuggle right here.” She squeezes me and I smile.

“Okay. Sweetness, there are things I should tell you. Are you awake enough to listen?”

“Yes, I think so. For a little while, anyway.” 

“Let me up for a minute.” I go and fetch the book I found in the library earlier, then return to the couch. Persephone curls in my lap this time. I think it’s her favorite way to snuggle. I don’t mind. It’s becoming my favorite, too.

I put the book in her lap and open it to the bookmark I placed earlier. “This is a history of the Titanomachy. Sometime during the war, Gaia gave a prophecy. It’s the last one of hers that I know of.” 

Persephone is looking at me rather than the book, so I tap my finger where the lines of the prophecy are written, to get her attention. I read it aloud:

> _“Goddesses three, punishers of evil,  
>  servants of righteousness  
>  await the coming of Archétypo Dikaiosýnis.  
>  They shall swear eternal allegiance  
>  to the Lodestone,   
>  thrice-favored, thrice-gleaning,  
>  thus above, so below.”_

“That’s terrible poetry,” Persephone comments.

I snort. “Yeah, it is. What do you make of it?”

“Well, the first two lines seem to refer to the Furies.”

“Right, pretty much everyone agrees on that,” I tell her. “It’s the next line that’s most relevant.”

“They’re waiting for--a standard of justice? Exemplar, maybe? I don’t get what that means.”

“They’ve always said it was a person.” I feel Persephone stiffen in response to that. “They put it in their contract with me, that they would serve me until their Archetype came along.”

Persephone turns her eyes to me. She’s clearly uncomfortable. “And they think that’s me? That’s why they want to serve me now?”

“Yes.”

She shakes her head decisively. “They must be wrong, then. I’m not a perfect example of justice, or anything else.”

“Prophecies are weird,” I say, trying to soothe her. “They have many layers of meaning. Besides, who knows how many times this was translated and interpreted before it was written down?”

She’s starting to shiver. “I don’t like this. I don’t like not being in charge of my own life!”

I hug her tightly and put the book down. “I know, Sweetness. It’s a terrible burden.” I stroke her hair and rub her back.

Persephone squeezes me fiercely. Her shivers cut off abruptly after a minute and she draws a long breath. “I’m okay,” she asserts. She pulls back to look at me. “Gaia said I had a choice.”

“You said that earlier. A choice about fixing something?”

“Yes.” She frowns and looks down at herself, plucking at her pajamas. “What happened to my dress?”

“It’s hanging upstairs. Are you concerned about the crystal?”

“Oh, you found it?”

“Yes, it’s upstairs, too. Did Gaia give it to you?”

She nods. “She said I could use it to fix… something. It’s hard to remember everything.”

“It’ll come back to you. You’re still recovering.”

I kiss her forehead and hold her close to me. In a few minutes, she’s asleep again. I sigh. I wanted to tell her more, spill all my secrets. I guess it will just have to wait.

***

I’m standing naked in cool water, hip deep. There are sharp stones under my feet, digging into my toes, but I don’t care. Persephone is sitting on a rock above me, the waterfall thundering behind her, the spray dampening her long hair and her bare skin. Cool rivulets of water flow down her thighs, and I lick them away. 

Her legs drape over my shoulders and her heels rest on my back. She leans back on her hands, giving me access to her sweet, pink center. She’s dripping with hot juices. The smell of her lust goes straight to the back of my brain and trips all the switches there. I nuzzle her silky curls, grip her hips, and bury my tongue in her. 

The wild scream that escapes her is matched by the intense well of energy that explodes around us, making the waterfall dissolve into a swirling cloud of water droplets. They circle around us, surrounding us in a moving wall of water, like a hurricane. I’m unconcerned with this weird behavior and go on with my stroking and sucking. Persephone moans and grips my hair, driving me against her, using me for her pleasure. 

“Hades!” she wails. Then again, “Hades!” This time she sounds terrified and I open my eyes.

I’m in my bedroom, in the dark, aroused. Persephone is sleeping next to me, but she’s restless and muttering. I feel waves of power flowing from her, making my skin tingle and sting slightly. She’s very strong, but she’s sleeping, she’s not really in control of it.

“Persephone,” I say, squeezing her shoulders. “Sweetness, wake up. You’re dreaming, love.” I pull her upright and pat her cheek. “You need to wake up. You’re dreaming. Come on, you can do it.”

“Hades!” she says. She’s still not awake. “I’m not a traitor!”

“Of course you’re not, Sweetness.”

“I don’t want to be the one to define the world!” Her eyes open but I still have a sense that she’s not fully awake.

“Why do you need to define the world?”

“She said so!” Persephone is panting now, struggling with some distress. I finally get the message that she’s processing some of her encounter with Gaia.

“Hush, love. It’s all right.”

“I want to choose now. I want to choose  _ you _ ,” she whimpers. Tears are leaking out of her eyes. I pull her close and rub her back and shoulders. In a few minutes her pants and gasps taper off and she drops off to sleep again.

***

In the morning I have a long shower. Persephone is still sleeping and I think there’s no way she’s going to be able to go into work today. Probably not tomorrow either. I decide to stay home with her, and get done what work I can. As I’m getting dressed and putting things in my pockets for the day, I notice the pink crystal. It’s sitting next to Ione’s Eye, on the dresser where I dumped all of our things yesterday. 

They’re about the same size, and both of them are rocks. Both of them are powerful magical objects. If Hecate is to be believed, one was created by a mortal sorceress. The other, by my grandmother, the primordial earth goddess. It occurs to me that Persephone’s domain as Goddess of Spring touches on my grandmother’s sphere as Goddess of the Earth. It could explain Gaia’s interest. 

I go out to the bedroom and check on Persephone. She’s deeply asleep. I’m not surprised that she’s still affected, but I am getting concerned as well. I hope she’s getting better. I leave a note for her, to tell her where I am, and go downstairs to get some work done.

***

It’s too early to call anyone, so I do email for a while, and then read some reports. When 9:00 rolls around, I pick up my phone and call Hecate.

“Good morning, Hades. How prompt of you. How is Persephone?”

“She’s all right. Sleeping a lot.”

“That seems about right. Has she talked about Gaia?”

“Not much yet,” I tell her. “I think she’s still working to remember everything that happened.”

“Okay. Please let her know that Elysium is already improving. The chief of maintenance says it’s remarkable.”

“Good, she’ll be thrilled.”

“I’m sure. Listen, Zeus called me yesterday to quiz me about this Gaia thing.”

“Why am I not surprised? I got pissed off and didn’t tell him much.”

“Well, I told him all I know. I didn’t figure it made sense to keep it from him.”

“Fine. Keep me apprised of any developments. I’m working from home today.”

***

In late morning I hear the soft padding of feet approaching. I just assume it’s one of the dogs, until arms wrap around my shoulders and Persephone presses against my back. 

“Hi there,” I say. “I’ve missed you.”

“Missed you too,” she says, kissing my neck. I shiver.

I raise my chin and allow her to access anything she wants. She goes on, kissing lightly, stroking my chest with her hands.

“Oh,” she says, noticing the framed picture on my desk. “Is that one of Psyche’s?”

“Yes. She gave it to me after their housewarming party.” It’s a charcoal sketch of Persephone and I love it.

She nibbles on my ear for a minute. “I don’t really have any pictures of you,” she says.

“We can fix that.”

“I thought you didn’t like having your picture taken?” She lets go of me, moving to the side to see my face.

I rotate my chair around and Persephone swarms into my lap. “For you, anything. I was thinking some pictures by the waterfall would be great.”

“Oh! Yes, I would like that. We should do that.” She frowns. “Assuming Elysium ever recovers.”

“I spoke to Hecate earlier. She says it’s already much better.”

Persephone gasps. “Really? I’m so glad.” There are tears of relief in her eyes. I kiss her eyelids and her freckled nose, then her sweet cheeks. She smiles and lets me. “Hey, it’s Tuesday, right?” she asks.

“Yes. Almost lunch time.”

“Hm. I missed an appointment this morning.” She looks chagrined.

“I imagine you’ve missed a lot of appointments. Don’t feel bad about that, you need the recovery time.”

“Yes, but I mean--this was something else. I had an appointment at a clinic.” She looks cagey. 

“A clinic?” I ask. 

She nods. “I’m going to get an implant.”

I feel my brows furrowing. An implant? What can she mean? That sounds nasty.

She goes on, softly. “You know. For birth control?”

“Oh,” I say. That’s very responsible of her, and I should be excited that she’s planning for sex, but I realize that I’ve missed an opportunity to make one of my confessions. It would be despicable now to tell her that I’m probably infertile. Like I’m trying to get away with something. It seems like something Zeus would try.

“I should tell you that I got tested for infections last week. Everything’s okay,” I say instead.

Persephone nods. “That’s good.”

“I can show you the record,” I say. I’m anxious to prove myself. At least I can give her that much.

“That’s okay,” she says. She nuzzles my cheek and hugs me. She’s looking sleepy again.

“Kore, can I tell you something? One of those things from my list?” I ask. 

“Yes, you can. I can stay awake for a bit.”

“Okay. Uh. From time to time. Um. Yeah, this is awkward.” I sigh deeply. “For a long time Hera and I had a thing going.”

Persephone leans back to look at me. “What kind of a thing?” she asks, confusion plain on her face.

“Making out, mostly. I think she thought of me as her backup when Zeus was getting out of hand.”

“Oh.” She’s not really reacting. Her face is impassive.

“I’m really ashamed of it. It wasn’t at all appropriate. I guess I was just desperate for the connection, you know? The idea that a goddess liked me enough for that--it was appealing. I’m pretty vulnerable to that sort of thing.”

I look in her eyes, searching for any signs of disgust. I couldn’t blame her at all if she felt that way.

Persephone cups my cheek gently. “You are so willing to believe the worst of yourself. It breaks my heart.”

I gasp a deep breath. She’s not horrified? I’ve never felt such relief. “It’s been over for years. Decades, actually. We both decided we couldn’t keep going like that.” I think maybe it’s best to leave out Hera’s more recent aberration. It was only a moment.

Persephone kisses me gently. Her eyes are heavy again and she’s definitely about to go back to sleep.

“Zeus doesn’t know,” I tell her. “It’s important he doesn’t find out. I could take the consequences but I can’t imagine what he’d do to Hera.”

She nods. “Thank you for trusting me.” Her eyes drift shut and she relaxes in my arms. I hold her for a long time, listening to her breathing.

***

I try to get some more work done but I keep getting distracted by watching Persephone. After lunch she went to sleep on the living room couch, so I moved my laptop there so I could work and be with her. It’s late afternoon when my phone buzzes with a call from Hera. I’m annoyed by the intrusion, but I pick it up.

“What is it?”

“My, you’re in a mood,” she says. 

I sigh, and try for more patience. “What can I do for you, Hera?”

“Prepare yourself. We’re coming over to check on Persephone.”

“Who’s ‘we’?” I ask suspiciously. I very much do not want to see my brother right now.

“Myself and Artemis,” she replies. “She’s very concerned for Persephone’s welfare.”

“If she’s concerned can’t she just talk to Psyche and Eros? They were here last night.”

“She wants to see for herself. You have to admit you would do the same if the positions were reversed.”

I suppose that’s true. “Fine. But Persephone’s sleeping, so there’s not much to see.”

“We’ll be there shortly,” Hera says, and hangs up.

I make a pot of tea and arrange some cookies on a plate. It’s not much but it shows I made an effort. I put all of this down on the coffee table. I figure I should wake Persephone and warn her, but the doorbell rings. I guess they’ll see for themselves that she’s sleeping a lot.

I go answer it. Hera is standing on the doorstep with Artemis, and to my surprise, Hestia is with them.

“Good afternoon, ladies,” I say, trying to mask my resentment. I can see the tight, disapproving looks on the maiden goddesses’ faces. They’ve already decided that I’m up to no good.

We all walk back to the living room and find Persephone as I left her: curled on the couch, asleep under a blanket. Fudge and Mushroom are draped over her legs, also asleep. The other dogs are occupying spaces around the room, and Cordon Bleu has usurped my vacated chair. There’s a fire crackling in the fireplace and the scent of tea in the air. The bowl of flowers that Persephone made the other day is on the side table, still looking fresh and colorful. It’s a lovely picture of cozy domesticity and it goes right to my heart. 

This is  _ my _ house looking like this. Like a home. With my girlfriend, and my dogs. Full of comfort and cookies and warmth. I feel a swell of pride and love.

I look over at Hestia and Artemis, who I imagine were expecting to find poor Persephone chained in some dungeon, enslaved to my lustful demands. They’re looking around, but the sour looks have not gone away.

I decide to play this politely. “Would anyone care for some tea?” I ask.

Hera accepts, making a little smirk at me.

Artemis bends over Persephone, looking her over carefully. 

Hestia sits down. “How long has she been asleep?”

“Most of the time since she came back. She’s quite lucid when she’s awake, and I think her waking periods are getting longer.”

She nods. She knows as well as I do the effects of being in the presence of the Ancient Ones.

“Did you  _ have _ to let her go?” Artemis asks, folding her arms.

“Yes. First of all it was her choice, and second, it’s very hard to disobey the Ancient Ones. They tend to get their way in the long run.”

Hestia nods. “He’s right about that.”

Artemis sighs, not satisfied. “But  _ why _ did Gaia want to talk to her?” She sits down and JP approaches her, sniffing with interest. She starts rubbing his ears automatically.

“I’m not sure.” I actually have a pretty good idea at this point, but I have no wish to share with Artemis and Hestia. Persephone should decide for herself what people are allowed to know about her adventure.

Once again a surge of power flows dramatically out from Persephone. She makes a slight noise in her sleep, and the energy laps against me, making my hair stand on end. Hera sets down her teacup with a  _ clink _ , and Hestia and Artemis gape at the sleeping goddess.

“ _ What _ was that?” Hestia asks, sounding shocked.

“She keeps doing that, I’m not sure why. It’s like she’s flexing her muscles,” I explain.

“She’s strong!” says Artemis. “ _ Really _ strong. Much stronger than she was when I last saw her.”

I also thought Persephone’s power was growing; I’m glad to hear my opinion confirmed.

Hestia and Hera are exchanging a look.

“She’s as strong as one of us,” Hestia says.

I nod. I think so too.

Hestia and Artemis crouch down by Persephone, talking to her and trying to wake her. I suppose I have to permit this. I go sit next to Hera.

“Sorry about all this,” she says quietly. “Artemis brought Hestia along and I thought it best not to make a fuss.”

I shrug. “It doesn’t matter. Let them see for themselves that she’s all right.”

Hera nods. “You should know--I can sense something. Something new. There’s a bond between you two now. I thought for some time there was something, but it was subtle, I couldn’t be sure. Now it’s quite distinct.”

That’s very interesting. Persephone said something during the night, about choosing me. I wonder if that was part of what happened with Gaia.

Persephone is responding to the other goddesses’ urging, sitting up and blinking. She looks around, a bit puzzled to find new people here. 

“Would you like some tea, Sweetness?” I ask.

She focuses on me. “Yes, please,” she says.

I pour a cup and hand it to her. Artemis and Hestia back off a little, giving Persephone some physical space, but Hestia starts in with questions.

“How are you feeling, dear?”

“I’m fine.” She regards Hestia with suspicion.

Hestia nods sympathetically, clearly doubting Persephone’s word. “Are you sure you feel safe here, darling?”

Persephone pauses before she answers, sipping her tea, making Hestia wait. She sets the cup down and composes herself, letting her shoulders relax. “Of course I’m safe here. You should know by now that I won’t stay in any situation where I’m not treated with respect.”

Hestia reacts as if she’s just been slapped. She slides back in her chair and looks at the ground, almost seeming ashamed.

Artemis takes her turn. “Perse, we can take you home if you want to go.”

Persephone turns to look at her friend. She looks a little disappointed, but she’s more patient with Artemis than with Hestia. She shakes her head slightly. “I  _ am _ home,” she says.

I feel a new rush of pride and delight at her words. I don’t think she means it literally, but she chose to shut down Artemis firmly and clearly state that she’s happy being with me. 

“All right. I think we can all see that Persephone is just fine,” says Hera. Persephone is in fact yawning and settling down again, her eyes drifting shut. “It’s time for us to go.”

Hera stands up, so I stand too. Perforce Hestia and Artemis follow suit. Persephone already seems to have fallen back asleep.

I walk the guests to the door. “Thank you all for coming,” I say. “Next time, if you give me some warning, I’ll have my whole kingdom ready for your inspection.”

Hestia gives me a bit of a glare, but Artemis says nothing. 

Hera shakes her head with a tiny smile.“Behave yourself,” she says, and they go.

I return to the living room. Persephone is sitting up again, and looking at her phone and munching on a cookie. 

“That was a quick nap!” I say. “You weren’t faking, were you?”

“No,” she answers. “But if I give in to the urge I can doze off pretty quickly.”

I laugh, and kneel down in front of her. “I can’t blame you. I’m sorry about all that. Hera insisted.”

I hug her around the waist and she puts down her phone, running her fingers through my hair. She starts rubbing my shoulders and I sigh happily, putting my head in her lap. She’s really digging her thumbs into my muscles and I relax.

“Hades,” she says nervously. I look up. “I didn’t mean to be presumptuous. When I answered Artemis, I mean. Saying that I was already home. I didn’t mean to imply--” She breaks off.

“I’m happy you said that. I want you to feel at home here.”

She looks relieved. “I do! I love being here with you.”

“I meant to give you a key. There’s just been so much going on.”

“That’s okay.”

“I want to be completely clear with you. We’re moving very fast and I am absolutely fine with it. I love that you want to be with me. You are welcome to be here as much as you want.” I stop short of asking her to formally move in. It’s too soon, and it feels like I would be pressuring her.

“You’re not getting tired of me yet?”

I shake my head. “I will  _ never _ get tired of you.” She smiles at that, and I smile back. “You’re looking a lot more alert.”

Persephone nods. “Yes, I’m feeling better. I think I’ll get really ambitious and go take a shower.”

***

I make a thick, spicy stew from tomatoes and vegetables, and assemble a salad. There’s bread in the freezer, so I put that in the oven to warm. By the time Persephone comes back from her shower, dinner is almost ready. I look up when she enters, smiling at her.

“You didn’t fall back asleep,” I comment.

“No. I’m still tired but not so much that it’s a struggle to keep my eyes open. I think I’m improving.”

“Good.”

I pick her up and set her on the counter. It puts her at convenient kissing height. I move in, nuzzling her, and she smiles, circling my neck with her arms. We’ve only just settled into a deep, soft kiss when the oven timer beeps.

“It’s ready,” I say. “Are you hungry?”

Persephone pulls me in for one more kiss before she releases me. “Yes, very. But we should have dinner first.”

I try to control my grinning as I bring the food to the table. Persephone digs in eagerly; her sleeping has really cut in to her food consumption and she needs it. 

“This is delicious!” she says, spooning up the stew.

“Glad you like it. Not too spicy for you?”

“No, it’s great.”

We eat quietly for a while, touching occasionally. 

“I’ve been remembering some more of what Gaia said,” Persephone says, as we’re cleaning up.

“That’s good. I’d love to hear about it.”

“She said I have to choose. Three times. That my fate isn’t sealed until I choose three times.” She’s speaking slowly, as if she’s working through the memory. She hands me our plates and I load them in the dishwasher.

“Choose what?”

She hesitates, looking uncomfortable. Her eyes dart away from me. “Who I want to be, I guess. She said--well, she said if I wanted she would make me a virgin again. That I could go back to my mother and have everything be like it was.”

My gut is seized in a fist of fear. Is that something she would want? I remember a night months ago when she told me she was homesick. I remember the times she’s mentioned Olympus being different from the Mortal Realm. Does she want to go back? 

Persephone puts away the last of the food, then looks up at me with her eyes big and serious. “I want you to be happy,” I say. “No matter what. I want you to choose what’s best for you.” I swallow hard. I should say more but I can’t.

She walks over to the sink where I’m standing and leans her chin against my chest. She smiles tenderly. “I  _ did _ choose what’s best for me.” She floats up and kisses me, deep and slow, never losing her smile. “Let’s go to bed.”

***

Upstairs, we lie down together on the bed, still fully clothed, side by side. Our lips are gently touching, but we’re not really kissing, not yet. We’re taking our time. Savoring. Enjoying the moment. Persephone seems fully awake and I’m delighted. I’ve missed her presence: her dancing eyes, her smile, her intelligent observations, her gentle, sultry voice. Her shy, eager explorations with tongue and lips and hands. 

She’s touching me now, lightly running the fingers of one hand up and down the buttons of my shirt. Her other hand is lightly stroking the back of my head, smoothing my hair and tickling my neck. I purse my lips slightly against hers, eliciting a small, sucking kiss. She responds in kind and we exchange many tiny caresses like that. Our mouths are closed, this is just the preliminaries and we both understand that. 

I have one hand on her waist and one in her hair, gently massaging the back of her neck as she’s doing to mine.

“I love you,” Persephone whispers, so low I can barely hear her. 

I kiss slowly along her chin and jaw to her ear. “I love you too,” I breathe, and she shivers. I kiss her ear, nibbling the lobe and the outer flange. She quivers and turns her head to give me access. Her nails are scratching lightly on my shoulders, making me tingle all the way to my groin. I nuzzle behind her ear, opening my mouth to give her a kiss there, and allow my tongue to stroke her lightly. She shudders and gasps. 

One of her hands trails back over my shoulder, slowly, stroking the whole way, and stops at my top button. I begin a path of sucking kisses from her ear, descending to her shoulder. I can feel her fingers opening the button, and then she’s touching my throat very lightly. Her breathing is becoming ragged and I smile. I’m delighted to know that her neck is so sensitive. I pull back a little and blow on the damp spots I made and watch her skin pucker, the tiny hairs there raising up in response.

Meanwhile Persephone has undone another two buttons and slips her hand inside my shirt, caressing my skin lightly. Her other hand is still on the back of my head, encouraging me to linger when I find a particularly good spot on her neck and shoulders. She makes little whimpery gasps when I nibble at her collarbone. I’ve wanted to do that for  _ ages _ .

I flick my tongue in the hollow of her throat and Persephone yelps. I pull back to look at her face, wondering if that was too intense, but she grabs me and pulls me in for a kiss. Her mouth opens for me and her tongue seeks mine, delving and probing. She’s gotten all my buttons undone and opens my shirt now, pressing herself against my bare chest. 

Her fingers go right to my nipples, circling them lightly. I make some encouraging noises. I want to pull back and ask Persephone about limits for tonight, but her mouth on mine is intoxicating. For now I just enjoy the kiss and don’t try to touch her in any personal areas. I don’t think I should assume that what she permitted last time is going to be automatically okay this time. I can wait, and enjoy her explorations.

Persephone starts to knead my chest, pausing occasionally to tweak my nipples, making me shiver and sigh against her lips. She squirms closer, pressing her breasts against me. That might be intended as a message, but it’s not clear so I just go on kissing her. 

I don’t mind that we’re taking this slowly, both tonight, and our physical relationship in general. It’s appropriate. I’m in love with Persephone, and I have never felt this way about anyone before. It’s right and proper that we take the time to savor every step. The lovely goddess in my arms deserves to be worshipped. Not in a hurry, but slowly, deliberately, lingeringly. With proper attention to every exquisite bit of her.

Persephone pulls back from my mouth and we look at each other. Her eyes are heavy-lidded, but it’s not exhaustion weighing on her, it’s need. Hunger for  _ me _ . The slow comfortable ache of arousal that has been building in me suddenly ripens to a sharper craving. 

“Sweetness,” I say. “May I touch you?”

She smiles in gentle amusement. “Yes, of course you may.”

She takes my mouth again and pinches my nipples, making me gasp. Well, I guess I know what she wants from me. I slip a hand under her shirt and pause for a moment, letting her decide if that’s acceptable. She sucks on my tongue and flicks my nipples again, so I begin to stroke my fingers up her torso, finding the bottom on her ribs and stroking lightly.

Persephone squirms in my arms until my fingers brush against her breast. This time I understand her signal, and cup her breast firmly, massaging lightly with my fingers. I enjoy the sweet, full roundness, the yielding bounce, the puckered nipple. She moans a little into our kiss as I flick my thumb over her sensitive peak. 

I think that one of Persephone’s hands is mirroring what mine is doing. I experiment with that, trying a few different caresses, and she repeats exactly what I’m doing to her. I smile against her lips. If she were willing to keep doing that, we could have some very interesting results. I file that thought away for another time.

Persephone’s other hand is gradually sneaking around to my back. She strokes down my spine with tiny, delicate touches until she reaches my belt. I expect her to stroke back upwards, but she doesn’t. Her hand lifts and then settles again, cupping one cheek of my ass. I’m surprised and delighted. She squeezes firmly and my hips automatically move, shuddering forward to thrust against hers. 

I think that was probably too much and I pull back from Persephone’s mouth to apologize, but she won’t let my mouth go free. She squeezes my ass again and pushes her hips against me, rubbing against my straining erection. She’s pressing so close that I’m certain she can feel it. 

She slides her hand downwards and grips my thigh, pulling on my leg until I push it forward, towards her. Persephone lifts her leg and wraps it around my hip, pulling me close with her foot on my ass. My thigh settles between hers, and she grinds against me. I groan happily, and push back against her.

We keep doing that for a few minutes, kissing, touching with our hands, and grinding. It’s very good and if I give myself up to it I could probably climax from it. I don’t think Persephone is getting enough stimulation, though, but she seems happy for the moment. I let her be my guide, and keep myself in check for now.

“Hades,” she says, all breathless. “Do something for me?”

“Anything, little goddess. Just name it.”

“Take off your clothes,” she says. She’s nose to nose with me. It’s completely clear to me that she means it. She waits, watching me.

“Okay.”

I pull my shirt off, watching Persephone’s eyes. This isn’t new territory, so I’m not concerned yet, but I’m looking for signs of nervousness in her.

I reach slowly for my belt, but she gets there first. “Can I do that?”

“Of course.”

She pulls on the free end, still meeting my eyes. I am on fire with need. It is incredibly exciting that she wants to go this far. Arousal washes over me, tightening my skin and giving me anticipatory shivers.

Persephone frees the belt end from the loop, but she’s having a tough time getting the metal tongue free from its hole. I let her keep trying. I’ll help if she asks. After a few tries, she discovers the right angle and force, and unclasps the belt. She smiles triumphantly and I grin back.

“Hey, you--my lips are getting cold,” I say.

“Well, then, you’d better get undressed faster,” Persephone responds tartly.

I laugh, not pointing out that it was her fiddling with my belt that slowed things down. I unfasten my trousers and pull them off, taking my socks off, too. I throw the clothes on the floor and wait. I want to be certain that Persephone is ready.

She’s propped up on one elbow, watching me. “Are you shy?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.

I grin. “No. Just making sure.”

I lift my hips from the bed and slip my briefs down, kick them off and fling them away. I turn on my side, facing Persephone again, not touching her. I hold my breath, waiting for her reaction.

At first she just looks in my eyes, her rapid breathing the only sign that she’s aware of my nakedness. She starts to look a little, quick peeks before she looks back at my face, each time her blush darkening and spreading, down her cheeks, staining her neck, disappearing under her shirt. 

I keep my eyes steady, watching her face the whole time, so I’m unaware of her moving hand until her fingers close on my cock. I gasp at the unexpected sensation, her fingers cool on my hot skin. She’s touching me very lightly, drawing her fingertips teasingly from the base to the tip, then starting over again.

I watch her face, but she’s paying attention to what she’s doing with her hand. I’m trying to keep my breathing quiet to not distract her from what she’s doing. I close my eyes and just enjoy it. After a minute or two of the light teasing, she tries something different. She makes a ring with her thumb and forefinger, and slides it down over the head, settling just beneath the ridge, and moves up and down. I groan.

“Oh, that you like?” Persephone asks, laughter in her voice.

“I like it all,” I tell her, opening my eyes again. She’s looking at me and smiling.

“Mm-hmm. What were you saying about your lips getting cold?”

“Yes, please,” I sigh.

Her mouth settles on mine again and I let my hands go back to exploring her breasts. She sighs against my lips and changes her hand motion to long, firm strokes, with a little twist at the end. I make happy sounds, wanting her to know that I like what she’s doing. After several passes like that, Persephone decides to go exploring again. 

Her fingers tease gradually downward, cupping my balls tenderly, fondling them. I groan and kiss her fiercely. She’s rapidly bringing me close to completion; not so much the quality of her touching as the fact that it’s  _ her _ . Persephone is touching me with tender intimacy. Perspehone is handling me, deliberately doing things to bring me pleasure. Knowing this is driving me out of my  _ mind _ .

I squeeze her breasts lightly, tweak her nipples, suck on her lips. I try to show her that I’ll do anything she asks. Anything she wants, I’m happy to serve her. 

Persephone begins stroking my cock again, lightly, focusing on the head. She pulls back from my mouth. “You know, I’ve been wearing these pajamas for two days straight now,” she says conversationally.

I’m having a tough time making my brain process words. “Oh. Okay. Um, I could put them in the wash for you.”

She smiles teasingly. “Maybe later.” She lets go, then sits up and looks down at me: panting, naked, hugely aroused. She grasps her shirt by the hem and pulls it up over her head, throwing it away dramatically.

Persephone is gorgeous. Her breasts are round and full, exquisitely lovely, still tinged with the darker flush. The nipples are a deeper pink than her skin, and drawn into tight, excited little points. Her breasts rise and fall with her rapid breathing. She lets me look for a minute, smiling at me a little tentatively. Then she sits down on the bed, tugs her pajama pants down, and flings them off too.

She’s wearing different underpants than yesterday, when I helped her change. She must have put them on after her shower. These ones are pale blue and silky, with a tiny bow on the front. I’m stunned with delight that she’s willing to go this far. I wait for her to let me know what she wants next. 

Persephone lies down next to me as before, hooking her leg over my hip again and drawing me close, my leg between hers. She grinds against me and I can feel how wet she is, and hot, right through her panties. Our mouths come together in a fierce sucking kiss, tongues colliding. My teeth nip her lower lip and she responds in kind, moaning.

My hips grind helplessly against hers, my arm around her, gripping her lovely ass, helping her find leverage. Her bare breasts press against my the skin of my chest and I think I can feel her heart beating, pounding against mine.

Between our naked torsos, a thin film of sweat is developing, enabling us to slide against one another more easily. I’m extremely close but I’m concerned that Persephone isn’t getting enough stimulation. I back away from her lips to ask and she cries, “Touch me! Please?”

I roll partly onto my back, pulling Persephone with me. Now both my arms are free so I snake one hand between our hips and press on the silky fabric of her panties, searching. “No, really touch me,” she pants. “Touch my skin.”

“Okay,” I say. I slip two fingers under her waistband, pulling down a little. I find silky hair, just like in my dream, and my arousal surges massively. Just below, I find the wet, swollen bud of her clit, and roll it gently between my fingers. I already know she’s very responsive. It doesn’t take much. She cries out sharply, and then crashes into my mouth again, kissing me frantically. Her hand closes around the head of my cock and we rock together, three, four times, groaning and wailing together as we explode.

***

We’re lying curled together, cuddled up in the darkness, talking. Persephone has stayed awake for hours now, with no yawning, and I think she’s mostly recovered. It shouldn’t surprise me. Her strength has depths to it that no one else suspects.

We’re stroking and touching one another, kissing occasionally, just idly enjoying being together with nothing between us. Neither of us has put on any more clothes. Being able to touch Persephone, long uninterrupted strokes along her lovely pink skin, is a glorious privilege. The underpants she’s still wearing don’t matter.

“So you still have more things on your list to tell me?” Persephone asks.

She has every right to ask this. I should be forthright. “Yes. I mean, probably there are dozens more things that you should know that I’ve forgotten, so this is just the top ones. Mostly more recent things.”

Persephone nods. “Well, feel free to dole them out slowly. I don’t think I need it all at once.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to be angry with me later.”

She kisses me sweetly, reassuringly, and holds me by the ears. “Hades, I know you had a life before me. My life was complicated when I met you, I certainly expect that yours was, too.”

“That’s true. But--you’re not upset about what I said today? About Hera?”

“I’m not thrilled. But I keep telling you, I don’t expect you to be perfect.” She’s stroking my back now, from the nape of my neck to as far down as she can reach. “She’s very beautiful. I get it.”

“Well. I guess, but that’s not it. It’s that she was kind to me.”

“Really? It doesn’t seem so very kind, using you as some kind of substitute. As a way of lashing out at her husband.”

I’m deeply uncomfortable with this, but I owe Persephone the truth. “I just meant… most women--goddesses especially--won’t give me the time of day. It was very flattering to me that Hera would.”

“I can’t explain other women’s poor taste, especially not when it works to my benefit. I just think you must have been starving for attention, to think that so little was a feast.”

“That--wow. Okay, you’re right there. Kore, you are incredibly insightful. And compassionate, and able to look past the surface of things. Most people don’t have those qualities.”

“You have very low expectations, do you know that?” She looks more amused than anything else.

“Yeah. I do, actually. But I think you’re starting to change that.”

“Good. Because you should expect more.” She stretches, arms up over her head, her toes tickling my knees.

“I will. I promise.” I kiss her belly, and between her breasts, her throat, and then her lips. Persephone drapes her arms around me and smiles. “From now on I have the highest of standards. Nothing will do for me but the best--and that is you.”

**Author's Note:**

> You might think that all that sleeping for Persephone was wish fulfillment on the author's part. You'd be right.
> 
> Red: You're the best! Thanks for always being there for me.


End file.
